Welcome To FWE News

FWE, Co., Inc. is a leading food service equipment manufacturer located in Crystal Lake, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago and is a privately owned and operated by Deron Lichte.

FWE offers Low Temperature Cooking, Holding, Serving Equipment, Ovens, Rethermalizing Units, Utility Transports, Refrigeration and Portable Bars that are designed to improve operating efficiencies that continue to be more innovative and durable than others available on the market.

Archives

Category: Customer Highlight

CELEBRATING TEN YEARS WITH ALL OCCASIONS PARTY RENTALSFWE Caters Top Notch Service to Knoxville’s Event Planning Business

PORTLAND, TENN. (April 15, 2015) – When you think of event planning, what’s the first word that comes to mind? Weddings? FWE thought so too. However, All Occasions Party Rentals capitalizes on too many market segments to even list.

With over seven acres of land housing anything from decor to games and inflatables, this place has everything. Their inventory isn’t the only thing that is impressive. All Occasions Party Rentals works with the area’s most prestigious caterers and event facilities Knoxville has to offer. Director of Operations, James Aiken, said “we have contracts with a lot of local clients, like the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Bonnaroo, [and] the City of Knoxville” to name a few.

Because of their loyalty and support of local businesses, All Occasions Party Rentals was awarded the Knoxville Chamber’s Pinnacle Business Award in 2012 and the Dream Big Small Business of the Year in 2013.

FWE is proud to be apart of its success and provide solutions to All Occasions Party Rentals since 2005. 10 years ago, this event planning venture was in need of mobile banquet cabinets and chose FWE’s P-120 cabinets to rent out to its catering clientele.

The P-120 model feature’s FWE’s “Humi-Temp” humidified heat system, in which humidity can be added to condition circulated heat, eliminating hot and cold spots by gently circulating air throughout the banquet cabinet. All Occasions Party Rentals’ clients do not have to worry about serving delays and last minute arrivals.

Even a decade later, these same cabinets are still in use today. Aiken says “ The P-120s are loaded onto trucks and being used at catering events every single weekend.” The welded construction and tubular stainless steel base frame have sure taken a beating, but have proven that FWE’s equipment can withstand even the most demanding use.

There is no doubt that All Occasions Party Rentals made a strategic investment with choosing FWE as a capital equipment purchase. With a positive return on investment and an innovative business model under their belt, FWE hopes to provide solutions for All Occasions Party Rentals for decades to come.

About Food Warming Equipment
Food Warming Equipment Company, (FWE) was founded in the 1940s in the suburbs of Chicago, pioneering the “HOT-SERVE” line of Food Warming & Conveying Cabinets and Portable Bars for Pepsi-Cola. The Company incorporated in 1953. FWE offers Low Temperature Cooking – Holding Ovens, Full Line of Heated Serving products and cabinets, Utility Cabinets, Mobile Refrigeration / Freezers, Portable Bars and the “PHTT”…the advanced and Intuitive Climate Control™ technology that automatically maintains the set levels of heat and humidity for short or long term holding. For more information, visit www.FWE.com

With over 20 years experience serving up authentic Pit-Smoked Barbeque, in Westmont Illinois, Mark has built up his brand and a solid reputation in as a fierce competitor among competition BBQ pitmasters. Uncle Bub’s restaurant and catering continues to expand on this labor of love with plans to open more locations and secure a warehouse to insure quality and consistency in their select cuts of premium beef, pork, ribs, chicken and more.

This weekend Uncle Bub’s will compete, once again, in the 4th of July Naperville Ribfest(one of the largest in North America). Uncle Bub’s looks forward to beating the volume of previous years with around 150,000 to 200,000 people in attendance, and take home another first place trophy in a streak that began this year with a big win in Sioux Falls SD, earlier this year.

Lunch at Uncle Bub’s

The volume of product served at some festivals is staggering. At the last award winning competition, Uncle Bub’s went through 151 cases of ribs (aprox 2100 slabs), 800 pounds of pulled pork and 900 pounds of brisket. But even for Uncle Bub’s, this year’s Naperville Ribfest may prove to be one of the biggest ever, pushing Mark and his crew to the limits.

Uncle Bub’s delivers on bringing that award winning flavor and taste to every dish served at the restaurant with dependable equipment such as; the Southern Pride Smokers, FWE’s Clymate IQ cabinets with precision humidity temperature technology (PHTT), and FWE’s P-120 heated holding banquet cabinets. Fundamental equipment that is necessary to maintaining his success.

Mark started with another brand and switched to an FWE solution several years ago. When asked what the determining factor was in making this important switch he stated, “We’re pretty rough on our equipment here and we’re in and out all the time…. When I saw the unit, how it was built and designed, I thought, you know what? This thing can handle it.”

Mark Link with the ClymateIQ (PHTT)

“The moisture and control has been very good for us, and the controls are simple and easy to operate.” Mark continues on stating, “It maintains temp. Recovery time was much quicker and it was very consistent. I like the fact that is shows you exactly how much humidity you have in your box. And that’s very important to keep your product fresh. That really sold me. “

Uncle Bub’s process includes premium cuts of meat that arrives trimmed, then tumbled, and finally slow smoked until morning. After which it is pulled out and kept in a pre-heated holding cabinet (PHTT-12) at 30-35% humidity until it is ready for serving during the rush times at lunch and dinner, hours later.

Mark Link with a pair of PHTT heated holding cabinets

Consistency of temperature and humidity throughout the ClymateIQ insures that the quality of taste and tenderness, expected of a champion level dish, is maintained for several hours after the oven. “I’m very concerned for safety and sanitation, especially since we do so much volume here.” Regarding the tenderness and keeping moisture locked in the meat, Mark goes on to say the PHTT “… it keeps the moisture in the brisket, big time.”

We invite you to stop by and visit Uncle Bub’s at the Naperville Ribfest this weekend and see what award winning BBQ is really all about. Don’t like crowds? Well then swing on by the restaurant at 132 S Cass Ave, Westmont, IL and tell them FWE sent you.

After a long hard winter for many, the long awaited warmth of summer creeps up on the Northern US and Canada, delivering the smell of flowers, cut grass and outdoor grilling.

The beginning of summer also ushers in a frenzied time of activity for many Food Warming Equipment (FWE) customers that rely on food trucks, festivals and Champion BBQ events across the Nation.

Among these Pit Master Champions, are the folks at The BBQ King Smokehouse, who we met with yesterday, to help get his mobile operation in high gear as he meets the demand for an extraordinarily busy season.

BBQ King, Jason Szmurlo and Chef Nate

With only one day left to go, Jason Szmurlo, owner of The BBQ King Smokehouse, leads his battalion of employees and vehicles to serve up Ribs, Pulled Pork and other favorites for the hard core smoke lov’n attendees at the 16thRibfest Chicago . Averaging 50,000 pounds of pork and anticipating over 60,000+ attendees, who look forward to kicking off summer at this grand three-day event on June 6th, 7th, and 8that the Ribfest Chicago, known for hosting the titans of the BBQ pit. Located in the heart of Chicago, on Lincoln/Damen/Irving Park, everyone will see what makes the BBQ King the monarch above all other BBQ

Inside Operation (Pending MTU-12 install on right)

Szmurlo is a long time, road hardened veteran of the festival and BBQ champion circuit. With a string of successes, measured in an impressive series of trophies and awards, he finally opened up his first brick and mortar restaurant and settled down in Woodstock, IL. Jason’s operation now provides some of the best BBQ year round to demanding BBQ aficionados and this booming business couldn’t be better. The BBQ King Smokehouse plans to expand into new avenues of merchandising, including sauces and rubs.

With a few of FWE’s highly mobile Moisture Temp Heated Holding Cabinets pulling duty in both the kitchen restaurant and deployed in his mobile operation, FWE will be there to help Jason deliver on the quality that makes The BBQ King true champions.

The MTU-12 and all other FWE mobile equipment is built from a solid frame up. FWE cabinets are built tough using stainless steel throughout. Welded construction and our exclusive tubular stainless steel base frame ensure that our cabinets will withstand rigorous, demanding use and transport. This includes the exposure to the stress and tension of constantly being on the road.

Just one of many solutions FWE offers offer in sizes, capacities and features to fit any operation.Contact us through our website, or call our team today at 800-222-4393 for assistance. Allow FWE help you provide a special solution for your application.Make your choice FWE. . . At FWE it’s all about you.

The specifications of a new remodel at The Storyteller Café called for new equipment and custom solutions for heated holding equipment that would take advantage of every square inch of this facility’s kitchen. And like so many restaurants, chain operations, and high traffic facilities, this is a familiar tale of space and time. The Storyteller Cafe’s kitchen needed to make the most use of every square inch possible, quickly.

FWE’s food warming / foodservice professionals reviewed the needs of the kitchen staff and layout and discovered that the café had a small space available under the counters in the kitchen that was not being utilized. To maximize efficiency in a large volume kitchen such as this, FWE was able to offer the support and know-how to get the perfect heated food holding equipment into the tightest of spots. FWE knows how to adapt and improvise an all-inclusive food handling solution. FWE’s professional team of heated holding and foodservice technicians, with over 60 years in the industry, provide the problem solving ability needed to understand and deliver on the complete scope of a customer’s needs.

Lightweight, highly mobile and versatile.

Under the counter heated holding cabinets of the Handy Line Server Carts (HLC) were adapted and manufactured specifically for the Storyteller’s Café specific needs. These custom HLC carts can fit in some of the tightest spaces and perform with energy saving excellence.

Further modifications were made to alter the carts to incorporate recessed handles. With the handles now flush and nothing to catch on the workers clothing during service, this simple modification contributes to the safety of the staff. With the Heated Holding Cabinets at knee level, the cooks can quickly and efficiently grab hot food and plate it without having to move around the cramped kitchen.

FWE’s holistic and utilitarian approach makes it possible to hold food hot consistently from this once wasted space. Holding products fresher and longer allows for the efficient and safest servicing of thousands upon thousands of customers that pass through its doors. Staff members, such as the Operations Asset Manager, attested to the precision engineering of FWE equipment, “Thanks for the perfectly fitting warming boxes. FWE comes through for the customer one more time! Please pass along our thanks to everyone on your team for a great product.”